Turkey to host almost 50 mln tourists in 2019: Minister

LONDON - Anadolu Agency

Speaking at the opening of the Turkish pavilion at the World Tourism Market 2018 in London, Ersoy said the ministry projected a 30 or 35 percent increase in the number of British tourists visiting Turkey in 2018.

This target will be reached if bookings continue with the same pace, the minister added.

Ersoy also said the number of foreign tourists visiting Turkey would pass the 40 million mark in 2018.

“I am expecting a 23 percent increase next year. I hope we will reach the target of 48 million [tourists],” he added.

Speaking to the representatives of tourism sector, Ersoy said they will increase the ministry’s budget to promote Turkishtourism and “the United Kingdom and Germany will be the main promotion points.”

He said Russian speaking countries and Arabic countries will be the next targets for promoting Turkey as a tourism destination.

Underlining a recent agreement inked with Turkish Airlines, Ersoy said scheduled flights—in addition to chartered flights—to Antalya, Bodrum, Dalaman and İzmir would start in April 2019.

Ersoy said Turkey has provided city breaks, cultural and health tourism besides mass tourism, and it has caught a rising tide in the tourism sector.

Later, Ersoy later met his Bulgarian counterpart Nikolina Angelkova and representatives of the Turkishtourism sector before leaving the U.K.

The World Travel Market is an annual event, which hosts thousands of people and brings tourism professionals from across the globe together.